The European Union Council has decided to keep sanctions against 233 Belarusians and 37 organizations in place until February 28, 2025. This choice is related to Belarus’s ongoing internal persecution and the regime’s support of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

The European Union has been imposing sanctions on Belarus since August 2020. These measures are directed towards people and organizations that are connected to human rights abuses, domestic repression, and Belarus’s participation in Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

The European Union wants to hold Russia and the regime’s backers responsible, stressing that their support “comes at a cost.”This latest ruling means that President Alexandr Lukashenka and 233 other Belarusians will not be allowed to re-enter the EU for an additional year. Asset freezes will also apply to these persons and the 37 specified entities, and EU citizens and entities will not be permitted to provide them money.

In addition, Belarus’s economy is still subject to constraints imposed by the EU.The EU reiterates its steadfast support for Ukraine in spite of the sanctions imposed on Belarus and the introduction of new measures against Russia. The European Union Council has emphasized its unwavering support for Ukraine in an official statement posted on social media, two years into Russia’s conflict in that country.

EU Council President Charles Michel has reaffirmed that the EU will continue to provide Ukraine with strong and steadfast support in an effort to help put an end to the conflict. As of right now, 419 businesses and 1718 Russian people are subject to restrictive measures enforced by the EU. Prominent individuals included on the EU’s list of sanctioned individuals are Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.